Samsung could launch a Galaxy Note with a bendable display in 2018

2018 has been a year of consolidation for smartphones, it seems that most of the major players, Samsung, LG, OnePlus, and even HTC, have stepped up to the plate to offer a great smartphone. About the only thing that is changing fast is the omission of the audio jack and the ever-increasing price of the handset, take the Galaxy Note 8 and the iPhone X as prime examples. But the improvements are mainly iterative, with new handsets boasting slightly better cameras and performance or a display with a different aspect ratio. So where is the innovation going to come from? As it did in 2013, Samsung hopes that flexible displays will be the next big thing, but this time the Korean company has slightly more definite plans, such as bringing a Galaxy Note to market in 2018 with a bendable display.

According to a statement made at a news conference by Samsung’s president of mobile, D.J.Koh, 2018 could be the year that the company launches a Galaxy Note device with a bendable display, but only if ‘several hurdles’ can be overcome. What these hurdles are exactly isn’t known, and Koh didn’t go into specifics.

“As the head of the business, I can say our current goal is next year,” he told reporters. “When we can overcome some problems for sure, we will launch the product.”

Samsung first teased a device with a bendable AMOLED display with the codename ‘Youm’ in 2012, and we also know of ‘Project Valley’, or Galaxy X. Despite having never been seen in public, various patents and concept drawings lead us to believe the device will feature a clamshell design that unfolds to present a larger display, as demonstrated in the embedded video, which also shows off a device whose display rolls up into a rectangular box. Back in 2013 when the video first appeared on YouTube, both concepts were of great interest, and I think it’s fair to say that the interest is still there, even after 4 years have passed by.

While it’s exciting news that next year’s Galaxy Note could feature a flexible display, D.J.Koh did leave some room to back pedal in case Samsung can’t solve the current technical issues.

What do you think? Would a Galaxy Note with a flexible display be something you could get behind?

He's been an Android fan ever since owning an HTC Hero, with the Dell Streak being his first phablet. He currently carries a Pixel 2 XL, Huawei P20 Pro, and a Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 around in his pockets. When not immersed in the world of Android and gadgets, he's an avid sports fan, and like all South Africans, he loves a good Braai (BBQ).